The former President of Afghanistan, Hamid Karzai, has reiterated his call for the Taliban to reopen schools and universities for women and girls.
In a Pashto post on X on Friday, Karzai congratulated India on its successful lunar mission, Chandrayaan-3, which was led by an Indian female scientist, Ritu Karidhal Srivastava. According to CNBC News, nearly 54 female engineers and scientists were part of the Chandrayaan-3 mission and they handled several important responsibilities.
Karzai stated that this achievement was a result of India’s investment in education and science. He added that Afghanistan and India are both countries in the same region, but that India has made great progress because of its focus on education and science.
He urged the Taliban to reopen schools and universities for women and girls as soon as possible and to allow women to return to work.
The Taliban’s takeover of Afghanistan in August 2021 has had a devastating impact on the rights of women and girls. The Taliban has banned girls from attending school above the sixth grade and has imposed over 50 other restrictions on women’s freedom of movement and expression.
Despite significant pressure from human rights organizations, aid providers, and Islamic countries to lift these bans, the Taliban has continued imposing additional restrictions on women’s rights. The prohibitions now extend to women visiting amusement parks, traveling without a mahram (male guardian), and attending public baths.
